THE TARIFF

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 56, 30 November 1921, Page 5

THE TARIFF

SOME FURTHER AMENDMENTS THE DUTY OFF PETROL 'reduced duty on tires and motors Another batch of amending tariff resolutions were placed before the House of Representatives last night by the Government and adopted after brief debate. The resolutions, which are now In operation, lift the duty imposed by the original resolutions on petrol and other motor fuels. They reduce the duty on motor, cars, motor-cycles, bicycles, and tires of British manufacture. Various other articles are affected, including some classes of agricultural implements. ( An. official summary of the amendments is as follows:— Solo leather bonds, 141 b. and over, 3d. lb. British, sd. lb. foreign. The nd Valorem duties on this leather have been withdrawn. Rubber tires, motor-cars and cycles, bicycles, gas and oil engines up to 100 b.h.p., preferential rate reduced from 15 per cent, to 10 per cent. Spring tine cultivators, disc harrows, seed and fertiliser sowers, seed cleaners, and cellular seed separators, 10 per cent. British, 20 per cent, foreign. (Formerlyfree as agricultural machinery.) Sheep shearing machines, 10 per cent, if foreign. (Formerly free from all countries.) Turpentine, benzine, petrol, gasolene, coal tar oils, motor fuels, free from all countries, formerly lid. per gallon. Mineral lubricating oils, 6d. gallon British, Bd. gallon foreign. Citrus fruit pulps, in bulk or otherwise, 20 per cent. British, 35- per cent, foreign. . (Formerly free if in bulk and unsweetened.) Tinned salmon, British 1-Jd. per lb. instead of 2d. Fresh apples and pears, Jcl. per lb. British, Id. per lb. foreign, till January 31, 1921. and Id. per lb. British, lid. per lb. foreign afterwards. (Formerly- the higher rate applied only from February 1 to November 14 in each year.) Powdered resin, 20 per cent. British, 35 ner cent, foreign . (Formerly free.) Silk yarns, 10 per cent, foreign. (Formerly free from all countries.)

Cast iron fittings for pipes of over three-inch, diameter, 20 per cent. British, 35 per cent, foreign. (Formerly preferential free, foreign 20 per cent.) Rock-breaking machines, except jawcrushers, free British, 10 per cent, foreign; jaw-crushers, 20 per cent. British, 35 per cent, foreign. (Formerly jawcrushers were charged the same duty as other rock-breaking machines.)

Spray pumps, foot or hand power. 5 per cent. British, 15 per cent, foreign. (Formerly preferential free, foreign 10 per cent.) Power spray pumps, free British, 10 per cent, foreign. Cash registers, 20 per cent, all countries. (Formerly free.) Furniture castors, 20 per cent. British, 30 per cent, foreign, up to May 31, 1922.. Afterwards to 'be preferential free, foreign 10 per cent. MINISTERS EXPLAIN.

The Prime Minister, referring to the duty proposed to be imposed on certain classes of agricultural implements,, said that the New Zealand manufacturers did not object to British implements entering tho Dominion free of duty. But they had asked for some protection from the competition of Canada and the United States, and a. small duty was being imposed accordingly. Ploughs, harrows, reapers, etc., would remain free of duty as at present. The Minister of Customs (Mr. Downie Stewart) explained some of the amendments that were being proposed. Ho eaid that tho original proposal had been to charge a duty of 15 per cent, preferential, 25 per cent, foreign, on motorcars and kindred articles. But the importers of British cars had demonstrated that Under the conditions of the trade they would bo prejudiced by this arrangement of the duties. Then the Customs authorities has pointed to a difficulty about discriminating 'between tho duty on cars and tho duty on parts of pars. Any discrimination of this kind made the collection of duties very difficult and encouraged importers to declare the low duty items at a high value and the high duty items at a low value. The original suggestion of the Tariff Commission had been that the duty on motor-cars and parts should be 10 per cent., and the Government had decided, for the reasons he had indicated, to revert to this duty. PETROL AND KEROSENE. The Government, continued the Minister, had already taken off the proposed duty of lid. per gallon on kerosene. It was now proposing to restore petrol and benzine also to the free list, in response to the representations that had been made. It was very difficult for the Customs Department to discriminate between the various oils and fuels, and the Department had desired to get a uniform rate of duty for them all. The Government had concurred in this, and tho Primo Minister had had in view toe prospect of raising a substantial amount of money for tho improvement of the main mads. But in view of the protests that had been made and tho extent to which kerosene nnd petrol were used in tho country and in industries, tho Government had decided to ask Parliament, to restore these items to tho free list. That had necessitated the restoration of the duty of sixpence per gallon on the heavier oils in order to make a workable tariff. The Government had felt that there was a difficulty about imposing a duty on Canadian agricultural machines, owing to tlm fact that Canada had always treated Now Zealand particularly well under its tariff: Ministers were proposing, therefore, that a slight reduction should be made in the preferential duty on tinned salmon. This concession would benefit Canada to about twice tho amount of tho duty that was 'being placed on the machines. Tho duty was being Toimposcd upon cash registers because the Government had learned that these appliances wore in competition with an appliance of local manufacture. The amendments were adopted by the House. CULINARY AND FLAVOURING ESSENCES. Tho resolution adopted by the House of Representatives last night, provides that there shall be levied on the alcohol used in the production of culinary and flavouring essences entered for home consumption after November 29, 1921, a duty at the rate of ICs. the proof gallon of alcohol.